Seeing the opportunity for growth in protected agriculture, Lipman Produce recently installed two hectares of retractable roof Cravo greenhouses at its Naples, Florida, farming facility. Yet many growers have never been inside a retractable roof greenhouse. They have not felt the change in the growing environment nor seen how plants develop differently compared to conventional greenhouses or the open field.
In December, growers visited the 50 variety tomato trial at Hasel Tarim in Antalya Turkey during the Growtech trade show. Seasoned veterans commented that it was an eye opening experience to see how the tomato plants were developing in the retractable roof greenhouse, growing in the soil with no heating system and being located right beside a cotton field.
Top comments from visitors to Hasel Tarim
1. "I have never seen a greenhouse like this before"- (Iran)
2. "It is hard to believe that there are virtually no losses due to virus even though there is a cotton field close to the greenhouse"- (Turkey)
3. "These tomatoes look like a greenhouse tomato but are firm like a field tomato"- (Turkey)
4. "I cannot believe that there is virtually no botrytis on the tomato plants"- (Turkey)
5. "How was it possible to get plants like that without a heating system?"- (Israel)
6. "Plants look very healthy" (Turkey)
7. "You can really allow the plants to benefit from the positives of the natural outdoors"- (Iran)
8. "I now understand how the retractable roof causes improvements in the plant's natural defence mechanisms" - (Pakistan)
9. "Wow... If I was not here, I never would have believed it" - (Turkey)